The Delinquent Shimizu-san Sitting Next to Me Has Dyed Her Hair Black-Chapter 3Volume 2 . - Shimizu-san and Anime
Shimizu-san and Anime 3
“Why? I don’t usually get scores that are anywhere near failing!”
“That’s because I’m always trying my best to teach you when you come crying to me a week before the exams!”
“Hey Yousuke, you’re talking too loud! I’m supposed to be the beautiful and gentle Senpai that the juniors can count on! You’re ruining my reputation!”
“Don’t worry, you already lost any chance of being relied upon by the juniors.”
“That’s harsh! That’s not true, right, Kei?”
Shimizu-san stubbornly avoids meeting Ai-san’s gaze.
“Kei-san? Did Onee-chan do something wrong? Why won’t you make eye contact?”
There was no response to Ai-san’s question.
“Ah, Kei, you’re always so stubborn. Mio-chan thinks of me as a kind and reliable Senpai, you know——”
“No.”
“An immediate answer!? Can’t you at least let me finish?”
“There’s no point in listening when the answer is already decided.”
“Ugh… That’s a sharp blow. If it weren’t for my strong mentality, I’d have collapsed. Mio-chan, I know you only say that because you’re shy… Daiki-kun, at least you think of me as a kind, cheerful, and elegant Senpai you can rely on, right?”
Ai-san’s eyes had already lost their sparkle, and overwhelming emptiness was staring back at me.
All I could do right now was…
“Ahaha…”
“Daiki-kun?”
My awkward, forced smile was the most affirming thing I could muster at that moment.
“My spirit is about to break… Yousuke, you’ll be kind to me, right?”
Tears seemed to float in Ai-san’s eyes.
“Don’t look at me with those puppy-dog eyes all of a sudden… Well, you do occasionally consider others and not just yourself, so in a broader sense, I guess you can be considered kind?”
The moment she heard that, Ai-san’s face lit up, and she enthusiastically hugged Yousuke-san.
“The only one who praises me is Yousuke. Keep praising me forever!”
“Don’t hug me out of nowhere! I get it, let go!”
Yousuke-san tries to peel Ai-san off him.
I’ve never seen him so flustered.
“I know you’re happy——”
“You’re forgetting we have juniors here! The one who’s going to be embarrassed later is you!”
“Ah…”
Ai-san quickly steps away from Yousuke-san.
Then her face gradually turns red.
“Forget what you just saw, everyone! And for the record, I don’t just hug anyone!”
“Don’t worry, I’ve got it all memorized.”
“Mio-chan? I just said to forget it, didn’t I? That’s not okay, you know?”
“To erase memories, a convenience store exclusive matcha dorayaki is required.”
“Are you trying to threaten me?”
“Just kidding. But it’s good to remember for future reference.”
“Mio-chan, you’re a scary girl…”
“What kind of skit are you two doing?”
Shimizu-san interjects with an exasperated expression.
The source of this c𝐨ntent is freёnovelkiss.com.
“Alright, everyone, let’s study hard for the exams! And that concludes the important announcement! Let’s just chat aimlessly as usual!”
“Aren’t we supposed to be studying for the exams?”
“That’s something we’ll get serious about starting tomorrow.”
“That sounds like something someone who doesn’t study until the last minute would say.”
“Don’t worry, when I need to, I can be a very productive human. So, what were Mio-chan and Daiki-kun talking about before we arrived?”
“About that…”
I reflexively glance over at Seto-san, who silently shakes her head.
Apparently, she wants to keep our earlier love talk a secret from Ai-san and Shimizu-san.
“…We were discussing my recommended anime.”
With this explanation, Ai-san and Shimizu-san shouldn’t suspect that we were talking about love.
“Oh really, what anime did you watch?”
“It’s an anime movie called ’21 Gram of Difference.’ “
“Ah, I’ve seen that too! It’s a great anime, isn’t it? I was really moved.”
It’s easy to imagine Ai-san being moved by that anime.
“I mean, in the last scene, the protagonist was——”
Ai-san’s mouth is quickly covered by Seto-san’s hand.
“No spoilers allowed.”
“Mmmffh…mmmhh.”
“…okay. I’ll take my hand off.”
I wonder if Seto-san understood what Ai-san was trying to say.
“Phew, I can finally breathe. If you haven’t watched it yet, Mio-chan, you should’ve said something.”
“You started talking before I could, Ai-senpai.”
“…True. Sorry about that. You were discussing ’21 Gram of Difference,’ huh? It’s a good work, so I definitely want Mio-chan to watch it.”
“Yeah, I’m looking forward to it.”
“That’s a good response. Let’s talk about what you think of it once you’ve seen it!”
After that, the day’s Astronomy Club meeting was entirely consumed by discussions of favorite anime and manga.
***
When I arrived in the classroom the next day, Shimizu-san hadn’t come to school yet.
“Hey Daiki, good morning.”
Turning toward the voice, I see Toshiya standing there.
“Good morning, Toshiya. Is morning practice over already?”
“Yeah, we finished a bit earlier than usual today.”
“Is that so?”
“But I heard, Daiki. The Astronomy Enthusiast Club has now become the Astronomy Club. That’s great.”
“Where did you get that information?”
Why does Toshiya know about something Ai-san had just told us yesterday?
“I heard it from Seto-san.”
“I see.”
“Still, you’re lucky, getting to be in a club activity with Seto-san…”
Toshiya genuinely seems envious.
“I hadn’t really talked to her much before, but Seto-san is an interesting person, isn’t she?”
“So you’ve finally realized it, Daiki… The joy of talking to Seto-san. it… the joy of talking with Seto-san. It feels both happy and a little lonely… So what Daiki and Seto-san usually talk about?”
“Um…”
I can’t really say that Seto-san and I have been discussing whether her feelings toward Toshiya are romantic.
While I’m pondering my answer, I hear the back door of the classroom open.
Looking over, I see Shimizu-san walking into the room.
“Sorry, I have to go. We’ll continue this later.”
“Huh? Ah, okay.”
Toshiya suddenly said that and quickly returns to his seat.
And as Toshiya leaves, Shimizu-san comes closer to where I am.
“Good morning, Shimizu-san.”
“….Morning.”
Shimizu-san seems less energetic than usual today for some reason.
“Is something wrong, Shimizu-san?”
“…Why all of a sudden? Nothing’s wrong.”
She seems not as strong as usual.
Even her intimidating gaze seems to lack its usual intensity.
Focusing on Shimizu-san’s eyes, I notice something—her eyes are slightly swollen.
While there could be multiple reasons for swollen eyes, the most likely one is wiping away tears.
So it would be reasonable to assume that Shimizu-san has been crying.
The question is, why has Shimizu-san been crying? What could have possibly happened to her?
“Are you sure nothing’s wrong? If you have any problems, I’m here to listen.”
“I said there’s nothing wrong… I’m going to sleep now, so don’t wake me up.”
“I’ll only wake you up If Sensei comes in.”
“You don’t have to wake me up…”
With that, Shimizu-san falls asleep.
Before I knew it, the day ended without Shimizu-san regaining her usual energy.
